One month in....still feeling bad any advice here?

[moo2425]

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I raised my pressure to 20 because i saw that i was having a lot of events that semi qualified but weren't flagged and i wanted to see if i could get rid of them here is my latest graph.

I see I had a lot of ca events which I usually have none

Also I’ve been dreaming a lot lately especially last night i had a really vivid dream but I still have no desire to do anything during the day I feel blah I have no ability to hold a job now because I just don’t have the physical stamina and mental concentration to do anything I hope that will go away. Right now I take anti depressants but I hope one day I won’t need them when I get proper sleep

I also turned my epr leval from 3 to off

[ChicagoGranny]

I raised my pressure to 20 because i saw that i was having a lot of events that semi qualified but weren't flagged and i wanted to see if i could get rid of them here is my latest graph.

When I first started using CPAP, I struggled for a good while with pressure requirements of 18 or 20 at certain times during the night. Now, I am going to tell you what I did to get my pressure requirements down to 12-to-14 max. I started wearing a foam cervical collar. These collars hold your neck in the best position for airway patency. They also help prevent jaw drop.

The collars are inexpensive, so trying one won't break the bank. They come in soft, medium and firm. The firm works best for me and doesn't wear down as quickly. Here is the one I use - https://www.walmart.com/ip/DMI-Universa ... e/36782313

I actually use the 4-inch but recommend you start with 3.5-inch.

[Pugsy]

You may need a machine that can go higher than your current machine can go.

See if CG's cervical collar addition helps or not...if not...you may need to have a chat with your doctor about a different machine.
But I have seen those collars work wonders for some people and certainly worth trying.

[Pugsy]

Oh...remembering dreams doesn't mean your sleep quality is good. In fact the opposite...if we remember a dream it means we woke during it and frequent wake ups are a sign of poor sleep quality.

[moo2425]

I raised my pressure to 20 because i saw that i was having a lot of events that semi qualified but weren't flagged and i wanted to see if i could get rid of them here is my latest graph.

When I first started using CPAP, I struggled for a good while with pressure requirements of 18 or 20 at certain times during the night. Now, I am going to tell you what I did to get my pressure requirements down to 12-to-14 max. I started wearing a foam cervical collar. These collars hold your neck in the best position for airway patency. They also help prevent jaw drop.

The collars are inexpensive, so trying one won't break the bank. They come in soft, medium and firm. The firm works best for me and doesn't wear down as quickly. Here is the one I use - https://www.walmart.com/ip/DMI-Universa ... e/36782313

I actually use the 4-inch but recommend you start with 3.5-inch.

I wear a full face mask though, Does that still matter with jaw drop?

[Pugsy]

Jaw drop can change the angle of the airway and cause it to close off more easily and require more pressure...doesn't matter what mask a person uses.
The idea of the cervical collar is to keep the neck in a position that doesn't allow the airway to close up as easily.
Keeps the jaw more stable. Doesn't matter what mask a person might be using.

[moo2425]

Ok I went out and bought one I’ll try it tonight

There is a little sock that comes with it do you know what that’s for?

[Pugsy]

The sock is to put over the foam so when it gets dirty you only have to wash the sock.

[moo2425]

The neck brace didn’t do anything but make me uncomfortable but what I did was lower the epr from 3 to 2 and that brought my ahi down for the last few days

[zonker]

The neck brace didn’t do anything but make me uncomfortable but what I did was lower the epr from 3 to 2 and that brought my ahi down for the last few days

this is another example of "what works for me may not work for thee". it shows that while there are basic "rules" to xpap, there are still areas where we react differently. for you, the collar was a "no go" and you found your relief with epr.

for me, that would be exactly opposite!

[Muse-Inc]

...Studies show that in severe sufferers it takes up to a year for the brain to regrow it's lost weight, which is up to 30% brain mass loss in the study I read. That's both the lost sleep and the lost oxygen as well as possible metabolic factors. Reason I'm bringing it up is yes over the short term you'll see some improvements, but there are also improvements over the long term .

Matches my experience. I started getting 9 hrs sleep on Day 5 and stayed at 9 hrs for some time, then dropped to little over 8. Noticed benefits starting week 2, continued noticing benefits over the next several years (most benefits within the first 18 months). Took longer for higher brain functions to return to baseline. Some memories permanently gone, assuming where brain lesions had occurred.

[moo2425]

...Studies show that in severe sufferers it takes up to a year for the brain to regrow it's lost weight, which is up to 30% brain mass loss in the study I read. That's both the lost sleep and the lost oxygen as well as possible metabolic factors. Reason I'm bringing it up is yes over the short term you'll see some improvements, but there are also improvements over the long term .

Matches my experience. I started getting 9 hrs sleep on Day 5 and stayed at 9 hrs for some time, then dropped to little over 8. Noticed benefits starting week 2, continued noticing benefits over the next several years (most benefits within the first 18 months). Took longer for higher brain functions to return to baseline. Some memories permanently gone, assuming where brain lesions had occurred.

Did you have any issues like depression that went away after using sleep apnea?

I feel bla all day like I am dead with little energy and not much interest in doing things and if I do have interest I can’t use my brain bc it’s very hard to concentrate how did that work for you?

[Pugsy]

Do you take any medications? If so, what?
Any other physical or mental health issues going on?

[moo2425]

Do you take any medications? If so, what?
Any other physical or mental health issues going on?

I’m not comfortable sharing but I do take medication for depression but maybe the depression is linked to sa. My insomnia is

[Muse-Inc]

Did you have any issues like depression that went away after using sleep apnea?

I feel blah all day like I am dead with little energy and not much interest in doing things and if I do have interest I can’t use my brain bc it’s very hard to concentrate how did that work for you?

As I began to feel physically better and more refreshed (few months), I was more interested in everything and my brain fog started to lift. My concentration and thinking took close to a year for significant improvement. After 12 months, my blood work still showed very low vitamin D levels and I started taking D3 packed in oil 5000 IU/daily and OMG in about 3 months, no more bouts of lethargy, apathy, crying spells. I felt a lot better.